What do you believe the oval at the head of the serpent represents?
What do you believe the oval at the head of the serpent represents?
Experts disagree about what the head of the mound represents, with some scholars positing the oval shape signifies an enlarged eye while others believe it’s an object—a hollow egg, for instance—being swallowed by open jaws.
What are Serpent mounds?
Serpent Mound is an internationally known National Historic Landmark built by the ancient American Indian cultures of Ohio. It is an effigy mound (a mound in the shape of an animal) representing a snake with a curled tail. Nearby are three burial mounds—two created by the Adena culture (800 B.C.–A.D.
What does lo Saturnalia mean?
The phrase io Saturnalia was the characteristic shout or salutation of the festival, originally commencing after the public banquet on the single day of 17 December.
Who made effigy mounds?
the Woodland Indians
People known as the Woodland Indians built the mounds. The Woodland Culture, which dates from 500 B.C. to about 1200 A.D., is broken down further into three different sub-cultures: the Early Woodland (also called the Red Ochre), the Hopewellian classified as Middle Woodland, and the Effigy or Late Woodland.
Why is Serpent Mound important?
Why Was Serpent Mound Built? Because of the astronomical alignments at Serpent Mound, most experts believe it was constructed to record special calendar days and important lunar and solar days. The mound is not a burial mound, although there are some ancient graves in the area.
What was found beneath the Great Serpent Mound?
The unique geologic formations suggest that a meteor struck the site approximately 250-300 million years ago, causing folded bedrock underneath the mound.
What tribe built the Serpent Mound?
When it was first discovered by European explorers, the indigenous Adena people were cited as the builders. Carbon dating done in 1996 placed the age of the Serpent Mound at 1070 A.D., meaning it was most likely the work of the Fort Ancient people.
Is Saturnalia and Yule the same?
Saturnalia, Yule (at least the old Germanic version), and the other conquered holidays have long lost the importance they once had. They have been assimilated into Christmas, and most don’t miss them.
Is Saturnalia a pagan?
Saturnalia, held in mid-December, is an ancient Roman pagan festival honoring the agricultural god Saturn. Saturnalia celebrations are the source of many of the traditions we now associate with Christmas.
What is the purpose of effigy?
Effigy mounds were constructed in many Native American cultures. Scholars believe they were primarily for religious purposes, although some also fulfilled a burial mound function. The builders of the effigy mounds are usually referred to as the Mound Builders.
What were effigy mounds used for?
The Effigy Moundbuilders also built linear or long rectangular mounds that were used for ceremonial purposes that remain a mystery. Some archeologists believe they were built to mark celestial events or seasonal observances. Others speculate they were constructed as territorial markers or as boundaries between groups.